6 Types of Office Pranks

Everyone knows that around the office little pranks can lead to big laughs, but as you're planning your prank the primary point you need to consider is which type is best suited for the particular target you have in mind. Below we've outlined the top prank types to give you a head start in your planning.

DESCRIPTION:

The oldest proto-pranks in the book, these basically involve triggering a panic reaction button somewhere deep in the target's brain. There's no real life span to this prank, just pre- and post- scare, but it's inarguably funny, and you can judge the success by the exact pitch and tenor of the scream it evokes. Extra points awarded for alto pitches.

WORKSGREAT ON:

The perpetually nervous, the easily startled, big babies.

EXAMPLES:

- Fake rat/snake/spider/other awful thing hidden in desk.

- Videos where a shrieking goblin/monster face pops up half way through.

- Leaving a giant box addressed to the target then popping out screaming (Just try not to get punched in the face.)

DESCRIPTION:

The scare tactic's slightly more evil cousin, this prank lets the target's self doubt and fear they are losing their mind do the dirty work. Twisted? A little bit. But at least the target gets to feel like they're the star of a psychological thriller while they work out what could possibly be going on!

WORKSGREAT ON:

Self Doubters, The unstable, Anyone oblivious to slight changes in their surroundings.

EXAMPLES:

- Slowly moving desk inch by inch until it's far out of place.

- Making noises so low they're nearly inaudible and hard to locate, but so annoying they're impossible to ignore.

- Conspiring with other coworkers to develop a very specific strange new tic that only the target seems to notice.

DESCRIPTION:

Simply stated, this involves using inside info about your target to get inside their brain space and start having a field day. Depending on how big you go and how far you're willing to push it, your prank target may just blow up on you or they may just be thoroughly relieved that the scenario you've created turns out not to be true.

- Convincing them their favorite musician is playing live nearby and get them to come to work in full concert garb.

- Over dubbing a video of some news story to make it appear that it is about them and then casually allow them to overhear you watching it.

DESCRIPTION:

This applies to the wide class of pranks that requires you get 1000 of anything. Is it a bummer that you have to do so much work for the one instant of reveal? Sure. But Rome wasn't built it a day and it wasn't deconstructed all that quickly either (It's still there.) Just remember that any prep work you have to do is work the target will have to undo later.

WORKSGREAT ON:

People who like sight gags, Bean-Jar guessing contest aficionados, people you're scared to risk offending.

-Covering floor in Dixie cups half filled with water. Set up goes relatively quick. Clean up? Not so much.

DESCRIPTION:

This is any prank that involves targeting stuff instead of people. You can get way more extreme with objects than with your fellow coworkers- It's like they say, the things you own can end up owning you, and you can get pwned via messing with your stuff!

WORKSGREAT ON:

The ultra possessive, compulsive desk organizers, bad sharers.

EXAMPLES:

- Coating pen tips in clear nail polish so they all appear to be simultaneously faulty.

- Loading Snap Pops or Exploding caps into a Stapler.

-Removing Back support from reclining office chair.

DESCRIPTION:

These pranks target the most complicated, intimidating pieces of office technological equipment. It's so effective because we're all secretly waiting for the next major crash or virus to wipe out our workstation's hard drive, and we've never trusted the wily machine since it started refusing our print jobs out of spite, and can someone PLEASEJUSTEXPLAINHOWTHISPHONECONFERENCINGWORKS?!

WORKSGREAT ON:

The technologically illiterate, the easily frustrated, the Amish.

EXAMPLES:

-Replacing the target's desktop background image with an error message.